Shortcut - Amarjit: Fated Attraction

Amarjit is a Sikh woman. She lives in Britain. She has gone to university, and has a job. She also has a boyfriend …

Amarjit and Simon have known each other for four years. They are in love, but they have to hide it from Amajit’s parents. Amarjit and Simon meet each other for lunch everyday. They have also been on holidays together, but Amarjit has lied to her parents about it. Simon and Amarjit are almost thirty years old, but they are not allowed to be lovers.

This is what Amarjit tells us:

“
First my parents found husbands for my sisters. Three years ago they began looking for a husband for me. The men come to our house with their mothers and sisters. I have to dress in Indian clothes and talk Punjabi with them. They ask me how many children I want and so on. It’s terrible.

My parents let me go to university, but they will not let me be like British girls. I am not allowed to drink alcohol or have sex. My parents don’t trust me.

I met Simon at work. We love each other. He doesn’t put any pressure on me. My parents put a lot of pressure on me. To them a marriage is between two families, not between two persons.

I told my father about Simon. My father hit me and threatened me, and my mother said she would kill herself. If Simon had been a Sikh, they would have loved him. He would be a perfect husband for me.

Maybe I should marry a Sikh, and then divorce him to marry Simon. But that wouldn’t be nice to Simon.

Some arranged marriages work, but many couples are unhappy. Asian parents say that if you fall in love it could be over the next day. Arranged marriages are more stable, they say. My parents say I will be happy when I marry a man they pick for me.”